Gujarat Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board

According to the Hindu belief, there are four eras namely the Sata Yuga, the Treta Yuga, the Dwapar Yuga and the Kaliyuga. Loard Krishna was born on Wednesday on the eighth day of Shravan Vada during Rohini constellation in the 863875th year of the Dwapar era that lasted for 864000 years and he lived for 125 years, one month and 5 days. With the demise of Lord Krishna, the Dwapar era came to the end and the Kaliyuga began. It is also believed mythically that in the Kaliyuga.

The tale of Bodana, a devotee of Lord Krishna, is famous among Hindu believers. It is said that pleasedby the worship of Bodana, who used to offer LordKrishna "Tulasiputra", Lord Krishna came to Dakor on the 15th day of Karatak sud in samvat 1212 (1156 A.D.) from Dwaraka. On His way to Dakor from Dwaraka, Lord Krishna one day broke abranch of a bitter neem tree in the morning to brush his teeth on the edge of village Simalaj located just near Dakor. That particular branch of the neem tree has lost its bitterness ever since and turned into a sweet branch giving birth to the adage "Limadama ek dal meethee". The neem tree exists even today near the temple of Bileshwar Mahadev on the way to Dakor from Umareth.

Myths also tell us that Gugali - Ambadi bhrahmins of Dwaraka made many attempts to bring the idol of Lord Krishna back to Dwaraka. It is said that these bhrahmins were offered gold equivalent to the weight of the idol of Lord Krishna by Bodana. Gangabai, wife of Bodana, put her nose-ring weighing one and a quarter val (a kind of pulse) on the scale and that lifted the idol of Lord Krishna on there other scale. The place where the idol of Lord Krishna was weighed still exists on the bank of Gomati lake.

Dakor-Abode of Ranchhodrai on the bank of Gomati lake

Situated on the bank of Gomati lake, Dakor is located at a distance of 95 kms. from Ahmedabad. The present temple in Dakor was built in 1772 A.D. It is a huge temple housing numerous artistic sculptures. Many years ago Bodana, a devotee of Lord Krishna lived in Dakor. He used to regularly go to Dwaraka on foot for the "Darshan" of Lord Krishna. As he grew old, he gradually started to loose his strength to walk and pleased by his devotion and worship, Lord Krishna came from Dhwaraka to Dakor to give Darshan to Bodana. By the fond insistence of Bodana, Lord Krishna stayed permanently at Dakor where he is famously known as Ranachhodrai. Thousands of devotees flock this place on the day of full moon every month with the chanting of "Jay Ranchhod" and offer flags to the temple. On the full moon day in the month of Fagun, a big fair of the pilgrimage is held in Dakor.